Guidance System May Improve Light-Based Therapy for Mesothelioma

Using an infrared camera to guide the direction of a cancer-killing light may boost the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that attacks the membrane surrounding the lungs. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses light and a photosensitizing drug, can be used to kill residual cancer cells after debulking surgery. Uniform distribution of the light is key to the effectiveness of this mesothelioma therapy.

Now, a report presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine suggests that the process can be even more effective if an infrared camera is used to track the motion of the light source during treatment, ensuring even distribution.

Photodynamic Therapy for Mesothelioma

Photodynamic therapy for malignant mesothelioma is an emerging treatment that is primarily available only in larger centers. It is typically used in conjunction with lung-sparing pleurectomy/decortication surgery, during which the surgeon tries to remove as much of the pleural mesothelioma tumor as possible, along with other at-risk tissues.

The patient receives a dose of the photosensitizing drug a day prior to surgery. Cancer cells hold on to the photosensitizing drug longer than healthy cells, allowing for a highly targeted treatment approach.

After mesothelioma surgery, the surgeon directs a powerful cancer-killing laser light on the end of an endoscope into the thoracic cavity with the goal of destroyed any remaining cancer cells that may have been left behind.

Because PDT works differently than chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, it can be used along with these therapies as part of a multi-modality approach to mesothelioma treatment.

Tracking Cancer-Killing Light

According to Biophysicist Michele Kim and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, PDT for mesothelioma is typically monitored by isotopic light detectors placed at specific locations inside the pleural cavity.

But a “real-time” tracking system that incorporates infrared camera technology may allow the user to be more precise with the light delivery, potentially making the treatment more effective and improving mesothelioma survival.

“It is possible to use the feedback system to deliver a more uniform dose of light throughout the pleural cavity,” reports Kim and her colleagues. “In a phantom study, the light distribution was improved by using real-time guidance compared to the distribution when using detectors without guidance.”

Ongoing PDT Mesothelioma Research

Penn’s previous studies on photodynamic therapy in combination with lung-sparing surgery have produced some of the best mesothelioma survival results to date.

A 2013 Penn study published in the Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery showed a median survival of 31.7 months among 38 mesothelioma patients who underwent surgery and PDT. The results were especially notable since all of the patients had advanced disease. Patients in the study with the epithelioid type of mesothelioma survived even longer.

University of Pennsylvania researchers are in the midst of an NIH-funded clinical trial of PDT in pleural mesothelioma that began in 2014.

Source:

Kim, M, et al, “Update on a Real-Time Treatment Guidance System Using an IR Navigation System for Pleural PDT”, December 2016, Medical Physics, pp. 3672

"It has been over four years now and I can honestly say I am doing great. I highly recommend this book because it is inspirational and educational."

— Tom Crittenden, Maricopa, Az.

*Note: We have limited copies available for free. Free copies of the book are only available in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Recent Article

Mindfulness May Help Mesothelioma Patients Cope

December 13, 2017

There is new evidence that lung cancer patients who receive training in mindfulness can dramatically lower their feelings of stress and anxiety. Lung-related cancers like pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer have been shown to produce some of the highest levels of anxiety of any cancer. Although there are differences between the asbestos cancer malignant mesothelioma and other types of lung cancer, both malignancies tend … Continue reading Mindfulness May Help Mesothelioma Patients Cope»

Disclaimer

Surviving Mesothelioma® is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Cancer Monthly, Inc. and the website is owned and managed by Cancer Monthly, Inc. All of the information provided on this website or by an employee or contractor of Cancer Monthly is for informational purposes only. This website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. This website should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease and it is not a substitute for professional care. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to an existing treatment. You should not delay in seeking or disregard medical advice based on information on this website or by any employee or contractor of Cancer Monthly.